How to Be a Strong Christian, Part 2: Prayer

Another aspect of walking in the light
is spending time with the Lord every
single day, in the Word and in prayer. We will look at prayer first.

Get into the habit of praying. I am not
a very good prayer when it comes to setting aside time and praying for an hour
straight. I am much better at praying all the time. If I’m walking, running, or
sitting, if I’m driving, if I’m thinking, I talk to God. Mostly I talk about
people. I don’t talk to God about myself much, unless I’m in trouble. Years
ago, InterVarsity staff member Bill Steeper said, “It was a wonderful thing
when I got myself off my own hands.” He turned himself over to God. Corrie ten
Boom said the same thing to me. She was riding in the back of a car one night
on a dangerous road. The driver was going way too fast, and she was terrified.
She decided to spend the time interceding for other people. When she prayed for
others, her fear disappeared.

“And
so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My
wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of
Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take
for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and
offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for
you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly;
because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the
Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he
prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:7-10).

Job had repented, and the Lord had
accepted him, but it was when Job interceded for his friends that the Lord
acted to restore his fortunes. Make it a habit to intercede for others every
day. No family is without problems. My family has had our share of them. What
has helped us most is not letting ourselves get wrapped up in the problems.
When we keep interceding for and being concerned about others, we don’t have
time to be too concerned about ourselves.

One of the first times I spoke on this
subject was after the birth and death of our little granddaughter Alexa. My
daughter-in-law Meredith was two weeks overdue. Alexa was 9 lbs. 10 oz., the
labor was long, and she was born not breathing. Two of the nurses were in
tears. Meredith was comforting one nurse, and my son Gordon was comforting the
other. That’s the way it was for the next fifteen months until Alexa died. When
you give yourself to other people, God gives you extra grace for your own
troubles.

You need to make a choice. Choose to
always turn up to God; don’t ever turn inward. Turning inward is a downhill
spiral.

“Doubtless,” said I, “what
it utters is its only stock and store

Caught from some
unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and
followed faster till his songs one burden bore—

Till the dirges of his
Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of ‘Never –
nevermore.’”[1]

Do not turn in! Turn up to the light and
turn out to others.

When you look up instead of in, you will become aware of your sin, but once you
are aware of it, it can be taken care of right away. You will be back in the
joy of the Lord quickly. When you look out, you will be concerned about others,
for their benefit.